"Positive thinking" has been a cultural buzzword in the United States and many European countries at least since the publication of Norman Vincent Peale's book, "The Power of Positive Thinking" in 1952. Positive thinking has been applied to a variety of areas, including sport psychology, leadership training and marriage counseling.
Definition
The term "positive thinking" has been defined several ways. Some see it as the optimistic expectation that good things will happen. Others assert that it means you should simply "order from the universe" and your request will be delivered to you. A more guarded definition offered by Charlene Proctor, an author and specialist in female empowerment and women in the workplace, is "'a discipline that trains the human mind to change a perceived reality by repeatedly making positive mental statements." Techniques such as creative visualization have been added to expand this definition beyond the practice of making positive mental statements.
Training
You can train yourself to think positively by making a conscious effort to become aware of your own thoughts on a moment-by-moment basis, identifying counterproductive thoughts and replacing counterproductive thoughts with constructive ("positive") thoughts. It is important to make sure that your thoughts are realistic because if they are later shown to be wrong, you won't believe them and they will lose all power. Instead of denying the existence of problems, for example, you should focus on constructive ways to solve them instead of brooding or looking for someone to blame.
Psychologcal Benefits
The psychological benefits of positive thinking include reduced risk of depression, lower stress, better coping skills and a heightened sense of overall well-being, according to the Mayo Clinic. Athletes use positive thinking to improve their concentration, focus and motivation.
Physiological Benefits
According to the Mayo Clinic, positive thinking can boost your immune response and thereby decrease your vulnerability to a wide variety of diseases, from the common cold to cardiovascular disease. It can also significantly lengthen your lifespan.
Performance
Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, asserts that positive thinking can improve your performance on your job as well as in your interpersonal relationships. She points to research performed at Brandeis University indicating that positive thinking can enhance creative problem-solving skills. Research performed at the University of California-Berkeley indicates that positive-thinking managers made more accurate decisions than other managers and were able to inspire better teamwork with their interpersonal skills. Positive thinking has even been shown to improve negotiation and bargaining skills.
